


Physics Breaker

by UndertaleThingem



Series: Papyrus Bingo Prompts [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen, POV Undyne (Undertale), Papyrus (Undertale) Knows More Than He Lets On, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, but before the end of the game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:02:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25811764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UndertaleThingem/pseuds/UndertaleThingem
Summary: Undyne isn't scared of the Gauntlet of Deadly Terror, even when it almost lives up to its name and sends her plummeting from the bridge it hangs over. She's more worried about the skeleton who built it.It's better not to think about it.
Relationships: Papyrus & Undyne (Undertale)
Series: Papyrus Bingo Prompts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1786012
Comments: 26
Kudos: 202





	Physics Breaker

**Author's Note:**

> The Papyrus bingo prompts continue! This prompt was requested by creative-poptart, deku-lily, mr-flat-mario, and iconicanemone on tumblr! It took me a long time to settle on this, but it ended up being fun, so I hope you enjoy reading!

"I'm so happy I can finally show you the Gauntlet of Deadly Terror!" Papyrus said, bouncing excitedly as he walked, and Undyne grinned.

"Hey, with a name like that I just HAD to see what the heck you were talking about," she commented. 'Deadly' and 'terror' were not words she associated with Papyrus.

"But of course! All my puzzles are worth every moment spent looking at them, but this one seems especially suited to you. The giant swinging weapons are sure to delight!"

"Oh yeah," Undyne said eagerly. She couldn't wait.

The two slogged through the snow until they finally reached a bridge, and Papyrus directed her to cross it so she'd be standing on the side the human had come from. That kid... Undyne was glad she hadn't killed them after all. At least some humans were nice. She reached the other side, and turned. To her surprise, a number of extremely large and dangerous-looking objects now menaced the bridge. She might actually have to be careful.

"Okay, ready!?" Papyrus called. "It activates on my word! Fire will blaze, huge blades will swing violently, a dog will--oh drat, I think it escaped. Well, I don't have time to chase it down again! So it'll be slightly less dangerous, but, you get the idea!"

"Fire 'er up!" Undyne hollered back, taking a ready stance. "Let's see this Gauntlet!"

"Alright! I, the Great Papyrus, say...! Activate!"

With a lurch and a grind, the device sprung to life. Undyne watched as fire spewed, giant spears lanced, and even a cannon fired--and grinned. _This_ was more like it! None of that weak puzzle junk--this got your blood pumping and spirit fighting. She charged with an eager yell.

A mace impacted her, knocking her off her feet, and the bridge.

There was only dark pine forest below, and it was rapidly rushing towards her. She could only hope it'd be enough to break her fall, or the Gauntlet would earn its 'deadly' title. The wind rushed past her fins, and Undyne shut her eye. Oh god, Papyrus... he'd... And Alphys--she'd never get the chance to--

Time seemed to slow down. The wind had died--it felt like she was just gently falling now--now stopped. She opened her eye--and yelled. The treetops were mere feet away. She was... floating?

"Wowie, that was close! If I'd been just a little slower...! But I wasn't, and you're fine, so it's fine!"

Her head spun to see Papyrus, who appeared to be standing on top of one of the trees nearby, and not in a way that made sense--it looked like he was on an invisible platform. He had his hand extended, and Undyne glanced down at herself. Sure enough, her soul was glowing blue. She should have recognized the feeling instantly... but in all fairness, she'd had other more pressing thoughts at the time. She sighed a shuddering breath, then a couple more before she felt calm enough to speak.

"Well... I can't deny that was pretty thrilling."

"Yes! Too thrilling. I'm going to have to make some adjustments, the mace was only supposed to swing back and forth, not side to side. If that pesky dog had anything to do with this, I'll be forced to use extreme measures... and dismantle my incredible Gauntlet."

Undyne twitched a smile, still getting over the panic of almost falling to her death. "Hm. Well, whatever you do'll have to be after we get back up there. And that'll have to be after we figure out how to get back up in the first place."

"Oh, it's fine! I can just throw you!"

"Throw me?" Undyne repeated skeptically, looking back up at him sharply.

"Yeah! What, did you think blue magic only worked in one direction?"

"Considering you've never used it like this before, yeah, I kinda did!" she retorted. "I had no idea you could do this!"

"Oh, whoopsie. Well, when you advance to my s-tier bullet patterns you'll see it on full display."

Undyne squinted. Why was he talking like he was the one training _her_? She knew he held back when they sparred, but... this much?

"Anyway, I'm sure you'd like to go back to seeing these trees from where we're supposed to, so, are you ready?"

She inhaled, then sighed again. "Alright. Otherwise I think we'd have to climb, and that.. doesn't look easy."

"Well, I have other options if it somehow doesn't work, but, let's try this first! Up you go!"

Undyne felt a shift--as though suddenly gravity was pulling from the opposite direction. It was a repeat of her fall from the bridge but reversed, and as she reached the height of the clifftops, another shift sent her sideways. She landed with a roll and a groan, but patted herself down. Aside from the bruises from the mace, she was in one piece. She flopped back with a weary sigh--then scrambled up again. Unless Papyrus could use his magic on himself, he was stuck down there--stranded.

He popped up just as she reached the edge, and she jumped back with a yelp. He landed lightly, and dusted himself off despite not looking any worse for wear. And unless his costume obscured it, Undyne hadn't caught any blue magic emanating from him.

"Uh... well, you made it!" she said, trying not to sound as off-put as she felt. "I was worried you couldn't cast blue magic on yourself."

"Oh, I just jumped," Papyrus replied as he deactivated the Gauntlet. "It's easier. Now, where were we... Ah yes! That's right! You didn't finish the Gauntlet! Let me make some adjustments."

Undyne had no chance to stop him, or speak up, as he leapt. But it wasn't a leap. It was... like he'd slid into the air. Did he call that jumping...? She looked up, trying to find where he'd gone, and... had to sit down.

Papyrus finally dropped from where he'd been making repairs. "Okay! The mace should move the proper way now, so you have nothing to fear! It's ready for your second attempt, Undy--oh, you're sitting? Believe it or not, snow isn't very good cushion material. It gets everything you wear wet... I suppose you are from Waterfall though. And a fish. So, maybe that's not a problem for you."

"Hey Papyrus?"

"Yes?"

"Where does all that stuff come from?"

"You mean the Gauntlet of Deadly Terror?"

"Yeah."

"Undyne, I am surprised at you! You know all random bits of useless junk come from the dump."

"That's not... I mean, where is it all _attached_?"

"I don't understand?" Papyrus replied, lowering a brow.

"It goes up, like it should be coming from the ceiling, but I can see the ceiling, and there's nothing there," Undyne explained in a low, urgent voice. "I try to follow the chains, or the rope, or the hafts to where they come from, but they keep going and suddenly I'm looking at the ceiling where there's nothing, like my eye is playing tricks on me. What the hell is going on, Papyrus? How did you make this?!"

"I built it? Using my expert puzzle techniques? I don't see what the problem is," Papyrus replied, looking confused now.

"No, look, this isn't--" Undyne squeezed her eye shut. None of this made sense, and her brain hurt. Her friend... something was weird with her friend, and it went beyond the range of typical monster quirkiness and magic. She suddenly felt like she didn't know him at all. "Papyrus... what the hell are you?"

"A skeleton," he answered lightly. "And, your, friend, I hope."

She studied him, made a decision, and sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, you are. Let's go back to your house. I'm freezing."

"Very well! We'll do the Gauntlet some other time."

"Sure," Undyne replied, getting to her feet. In all honesty, she didn't want to think about it again. Not because it had almost killed her--she didn't care about that. No.

She was better off not thinking about how her friend could, apparently, break reality at will.


End file.
